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Oilers Coach Makes Frustrated Admission Amid Connor McDavid’s Slow Start

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ankit Kumar | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 11:27 AM ET

The Edmonton Oilers are struggling with consistency, evident in their 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Seattle had a 3-1 lead after the first half of the third period, and they successfully defended their lead to win the game.

The Oilers had won their last two games against Montreal and Ottawa, but both were close games, too. Lately, their offense has been weak, their defense porous, and both their goalies, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, are performing average.

Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse scored for Edmonton. But captain Connor McDavid’s performance against Seattle was quiet. In over 24 minutes of ice time, he had no points or shots and finished minus-one. This is concerning for the Oilers' offense.

McDavid has scored only one goal in nine games this season. Now, this is a big drop from his 64 goal season two years ago. His goal numbers went down to 32, then 26 last season, showing a clear decline. He is still making plays, but his finishing has not been the same.

Coach Kris Knoblauch admitted there is some frustration in the locker room.

"I think there’s some frustration [right now]," Knoblauch said after the game. "We expect more out of ourselves, and playing better."

After the 6-5 win over Montreal following a third-period push, many players felt good about scoring six goals. But the Oilers coach wants the team to focus on playing the right game.

"We just need to play the right way, and for the most part tonight, I thought we did," Knoblauch added.

Knoblauch liked parts of their play, especially in the third period. His team outshot the Kraken 33-23 and controlled the faceoffs. They also scored once on the power play, but could not finish enough chances.

Next, they are traveling to Vancouver on Sunday for a rematch after their 3-1 win earlier this month.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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